Cherry Lime Dr, uh, Nightmare
by SonicLover
Summary: Clover, Sam and Alex are sent to investigate the mysteries of the new soda, Cherry Lime Dream, with WOOHP's new hire. Guess who she is. Finished, with prologue now
1. Prologue

Cherry-Lime Dr, uh, Nightmare

(NOTE: Strange as it may seem, even though this is the prologue, it was made after I made everything else. I didn't realize until now that it was the only thing preventing this story from becoming perfect fodder for a Totally Spies episode.)  
-  
Prologue  
-  
11:38 AM - CARLA'S CAFÉ  
Ding-dong! A customer entered the room and approached the bar.

"Welcome to Carla's Café," the lady behind the counter said. "Take a moment to look at the menu, and tell me what you want."

As the customer scanned the menu, he noticed one soda that he hadn't seen before. "What's this? Cherry-Lime Dream? Never heard of it."  
"Yeah, it's a new soda that came in just a few weeks ago. Made in Mexico, it is. Want to try it?"  
"Well, sure."

Calmly, the lady poured a glass of Cherry-Lime Dream and passed it to the customer, who took a sip.  
"Gee, this soda is the best thing I've ever tasted!" In just seconds, he'd finished off the glass.  
"You liked it?" the lady commented. "That'll be three ninety fi-"

The lady didn't finish her sentence. She watched in disbelief as the customer started to morph. In seconds, a chameleon stood on the floor where the customer had been.

"Third one today," the lady thought to herself. "I'd better see a doctor about these blasted hallucinations"  
What she didn't consider was that she wasn't hallucinating. What she'd seen was exactly what she thought she'd seen. The customer had been transformed into an animal, along with everyone else who'd gulped down servings of Cherry-Lime Dream … 


	2. The Mission

Author's note: Forgot about me? Not so fast. I'm not out just yet.  
Remember when reviewing: No biased reviews. State what you really mean.  
-  
Chapter 1: The Mission  
-  
03:00 PM - BEVERLY HILLS MALL

The whole incident started with another Saturday afternoon at the mall. Sam, Clover and Alex were sitting on a park bench together.

"So," Clover spoke up, "which store should we go to next?"  
"There's an electronics store that opened up in the east wing just recently," Alex replied. "I want to check that out."  
"Then it's settled," Sam added. "Let's go."

As the three of them were walking down the east wing, Alex hesitated in front of the beauty salon.

"Alex?" Sam said. "Is something wrong?"  
"You know," Alex responded, "at this time of day, Mandy is usually in this salon, but she isn't."  
"Don't remind me about that snob," Clover responded. "She's always making fun of us. I guess her schedule got an unexpected change."

As if to show Clover just how unexpected a schedule change could be, the floor opened up and dumped all three of them down a slide which led to WOOHP HQ.

"Darn!" Alex said. "Now we'll never get to see that electronics store."

"Sorry for the rude interruption," Jerry started to say. "But when the future of the world is at stake, there really isn't much I can do about it. Now, as I was saying."  
A monitor lit up in the back of the room. It displayed the image of a man purchasing a bottle of soda from a vending machine.

"Hey," Sam said, "that's that new Cherry-Lime Dream soda I was going to try today! I couldn't because they were sold out when I got to the store."  
"Well, you should be glad you didn't," Jerry replied. "Keep watching."

On the monitor, the man popped open the bottle of soda and drank its contents. As soon as the bottle was empty, the man fell to the ground. Sam, Clover and Alex watched breathless as that man began to transform into a monkey.

"Wow," Alex commented, "now that's a soda that brings out the beast in you!"

"Yes," Jerry responded. Whenever someone drinks a bottle of Cherry-Lime Dream, he or she is transformed into an animal. Quite unusual."

The monitor flashed off. "The processing plant for Cherry-Lime Dream is in Mexico. You'll begin your investigation there, with our new hire."  
Noticing the girls' look of shock, Jerry quickly added, "WOOHP just hired a new operative. You'll be training her and teaching her the tricks of the trade."

A picture of this new spy flashed on the monitor. Sam, Alex and Clover recognized her before you could say "Cherry-Lime Dream". It was …

"MANDY?" all three girls screamed at the same time.

"Yes," Jerry replied calmly, "that is her name. You know her?"  
"We're always wishing we didn't," Clover said. "And by the way, she looks stupid in that cyan bodysuit."

Jerry was silent. He quickly pointed to the table with the gadgets on it.  
"From left to right," Jerry said, "we have magnetic go-go boots, boomerang bracelets, walkie-talkie necklaces, and infrared-vision sunglasses. Only the best for our best spies. Oh, and Mandy only got the necklaces and the boots, since she's new to this."

After the girls had collected their gadgets, Jerry pushed a button and sent the girls to a plane about to depart for Mexico.  
-  
What is the secret behind Cherry-Lime Dream?  
Who is responsible for it?  
How many Cherry-Lime Dream drinkers would it take to fill the San Diego Zoo?  
What was Jerry thinking when he hired Mandy?

Chapter 2, coming up soon! 


	3. Arrival

Please forgive the long delay, everyone. First, it's Lan, the Electopi-  
Sorry, couldn't resist. On to business!  
And Mat49324, are you sure you aren't me? Your interests are spookily similar to mine.  
-  
Chapter 2: Arrival  
-  
03:45 PM - SOMEWHERE ABOVE MEXICO

The WOOHP jet carrying Sam, Clover and Alex approached one of the Mexican cities on the horizon. Looking out the window, Sam spotted a billboard for Cherry-Lime Dream.

"You know, with the drinkers of Cherry-Lime Dream turning into animals and all, I think this case is right up my alley," Alex commented.  
Sam was a bit confused. "How come, Alex?"  
"I'm taking a zoology class in high school," Alex calmly responded. "Mr. Carukia is an excellent zoology teacher."

"What I don't understand," Clover interjected, "is why WOOHP hired someone like Mandy to be a spy. As our partner, no less! It makes me want to kick something!"  
After that comment, Clover kicked a nearby crate. Given that the crate was metallic, and that Clover was wearing her magnetic go-go boots, the result was just what you expected it to be.

"Why do you do such dumb things, Clover?" Sam commented.

Shortly after Clover pulled her boot off the crate, Jerry announced their arrival at the processing plant. The floor of the jet opened, dropping all three of them to the ground just outside the plant.

"Jerry said that he dropped off Mandy at the other side of the plant a while ago," Sam said. "She's already inside by now, I expect."  
"Then how do we find her?" Alex replied, as if she actually _wanted_ to find Mandy.  
"Our walkie-talkie necklaces," Sam suggested. Then she used her own walkie-talkie necklace to send a message. "Calling Mandy. Calling Mandy. It's me, Sam."  
A few seconds later, Mandy responded. "Sam, can it wait? I'm trying to climb through a ventilation duct, and you can only imagine what all the dust is doing to my hair."

Clover giggled. "Same old Mandy."  
"Let's go," Sam said, and they all approached the factory.

As the three of them reached the main door, they were greeted by a guard. "Hola, señoritas," he said. "You have some business here?"  
"Sí," Sam replied. "We're news reporters, here to get the inside scoop about why Cherry-Lime Dream is so successful. We were hoping we could get a tour of the facility."  
The guard smirked. "Certainly. Just follow me. I shall show you around." And with that, he led Sam, Alex and Clover inside.  
-  
Will the spies stop Cherry-Lime Dream's domination?  
What is its secret?  
How is Mandy managing?  
Did my italicizing and accent marks go over correctly? Good, they did.

Stay tuned for Chapter 3! 


	4. Investigation

Author's note: Okay, enough waiting. Here's the next chapter, fresh from the oven!  
And Mat49324, you being in 11th grade isn't proof that you aren't me. That's around my grade level, too.  
-  
Chapter 3: Investigation  
-  
03:50 PM - CLD HEADQUARTERS

"Believe it or not," the guard who was showing Sam, Clover and Alex around said, "you're the first news reporters we've ever gotten in our Mexican processing plant."

"I wonder how Mandy's doing," Alex whispered to Sam.  
"Who knows," Sam whispered back. "She's in a ventilation duct somewhere in the building. That's all we know."

As if on cue, in the ceiling of the hallway there was a banging sound. The guard nearly jumped. "What was that?"  
"Squeak, squeak," came the reply. The guard was silenced for the moment, though the girls knew that mice couldn't possibly make noise THAT loud.

Well, of **course** it was Mandy.

"And here," the guard said next, "is the service elevator. It stops at all 120 of the floors in the building, including the roof, which has Cleo's helicopter waiting. By the way, my name's José."  
"Pleased, but who's Cleo?"  
"Cleo's the big boss of Cherry-Lime Dream. She's really happy with the business, though sometimes she wishes she was a zookeeper. She's wanted a job like that since-"

"Qué casualidad," Alex interjected. "I know a lot about zoology. I think that this Cleo woman would like to meet me. Mind if we visit her? You know, for an interview?"  
"Apologies, señoritas, but she's a bit busy," José replied. "I'm afraid I cannot arrange that."

"Es bien, José," Sam responded. "Don't worry about it. Let's get on with the tour."

A little later in the tour, Sam, Clover and Alex ditched José and hid in a CLD storeroom. They were surrounded by boxes marked "PLEASE REFRIGERATE" and "HANDLE GENTLY".

"Alex," Sam said, "go find Mandy and fill her in on what we've found out. Clover, come with me and let's find out what we can about this Cleo person."  
"Gotcha."  
"A-OK."

The girls split. Moments later, José peeked into the storeroom. "Hello? Is anyone in here? Señoritas? Where did you go?"  
-  
What is Cleo's motive?  
Will the spies get the job done?  
Why don't they make a movie out of the Totally Spies series?  
How was my Spanish?

Another chapter is coming (eventually)! 


	5. It always happens

Author's note: Egh, spooky. That most recent episode of Totally Spies (the "Wild Style" one) has a concept curiously similar to that of this story. Well, that isn't any of my business. On with the story!  
And Mat49324, you're a game show buff? Small world. I used to post on an EZboard centered around game shows. I came up with some pretty good game show ideas (actually, they could have been better, especially "Scrambled Eggs"), but was kicked out for using unconstructive criticism.  
-  
Chapter 4: It Always Happens  
-  
03:55 PM - CLD HEADQUARTERS

Alex dropped from a ventilation duct into a room that looked like a pet shop. There were several animals in cages scattered around the room.

"Hello? Is anyone in here?" she called.  
A few seconds later, another voice replied. "Alex? Is that you?"  
You guessed it: Mandy. Alex approached Mandy and started to fill her in on the situation.

"So this Cleo woman is the president of the corporation?" Mandy confirmed.  
"Yes."  
"And she's always wanted a job as a zookeeper?"  
"That's right."  
"That might explain all the animals around here. I guess Cleo cares for all these animals in her free time."

Before Alex could respond, the two of them were hit by a flashlight beam.  
"Looks like we have a couple of espiás," the guard holding the flashlight said. Alex and Mandy quickly realized that they were in deep trouble.

MEANWHILE  
Cleo was typing something in her room when a guard (yes, it's José again) entered the room.

"Miss Cleo, three women claiming to be news reporters have disappeared. Una señorita pelirroja, una señorita rubia, y una señorita morena."  
"Come again?" Cleo responded.  
"One woman with red hair, one with blond, and one with dark hair. Sorry, Madame Cleo, I'm always forgetting that you don't know Spanish."

Neither Cleo nor José noticed that the señorita pelirroja and the señorita rubia were on the ceiling, using their magnetic go-go boots to keep from falling.

"Say, Clover," Sam whispered to Clover, "have you ever noticed how whenever the villain's plot is to give the world a certain fate- hypnosis, brainwashing, that kind of thing- one of us always falls victim to it?"  
"You mean like that Little Ann incident when you started acting like a kid? I had to threaten to send you to your room to get you to stop playing with your food!" Clover whispered back.  
"And let's not forget that incident with the Juliet cruise ship and the whirlpool where people were being turned into humanoid animals. You were positively meowing! You think Alex is still allergic to cats?"  
_I'm pretty sure the two episodes Clover and Sam are talking about are called Child's Play and Wild Style, respectively. -Author_

MEANWHILE  
"Ah-CHOO!"  
"Alex, that's the ninth time in two minutes you've sneezed. Can't you get a tissue or something?" Mandy said.  
"How can I help it if I'm allergic to cats?" Alex responded. "And it doesn't help that my cellmate is a _Felis domesticus_."  
"A what?"  
"A house cat. You'd know what I was talking about if you were taking zoology like I am. Besides, I don't HAVE any tissues."

At that point, Cleo walked in. "It's so nice that the two of you could show up to visit," she said. "The doctor will be coming in in a few minutes to put you to sleep."

Mandy spoke up. "Well, know what? The joke's on you! There are two more of us somewhere in the building, a redhead and a blonde!"  
"Don't worry," Cleo responded, "we'll locate them."

Alex was the next to speak up. "When you say 'put us to sleep,' do you mean like they do at the vet?"  
Cleo nodded. Alex and Mandy quickly realized what was going to happen to them if they didn't do something.

MEANWHILE  
"Ten bucks says one of the spies is going to be making animal noises before the mission is over," Jerry whispered to a WOOHP employee.  
"You've got a bet," the employee replied.  
-  
Will Alex and Mandy escape?  
What will Sam and Clover find out?  
Will Jerry win his bet?  
Why do Totally Spies episodes follow such predictable patterns?

This isn't the last chapter in the Cherry-Lime saga! 


	6. The Plot Thickens

Author's note: Okay, enough delays. It's about time I made the next chapter.  
-  
Chapter 5: The Plot Thickens  
-  
04:05 PM - CLD HEADQUARTERS  
"Okay, let me get this straight," Mandy said to Alex. "We're trapped in cells, waiting for this Cleo woman to come and put us to sleep like they do at the vet's."  
"That's right," Alex replied. "Cleo must be obsessed with animals, with the drinkers of Cherry-Lime Dream turning into animals and all. I guess taking a zoology class has its perks."  
"So, how do we get out of this situation?"

MEANWHILE  
Sam and Clover investigated Cleo's office once Cleo had left. It didn't seem too suspicious. In fact, it was suspiciously unsuspicious... if that even makes sense.

In one corner of the room was a cooler. Clover took an ice-cold bottle of Cherry-Lime Dream out of it and kept it for evidence while Sam looked up info on Cleo's computer.

"This is interesting," said Sam after a moment. "There are files about human DNA interacting with animal DNA. I bet that has something to do with the transformation effects of Cherry-Lime Dream."  
"Is it me, or is bad guy originality decreasing more and more?" Clover responded. "I mean, there was that incident with the cruise ship and the humanoid animals (Wild Style), that carnival incident with the funky mirrors (Freaky Circus Much?), and now this. How similar is that?"  
"Really similar," Sam commented. "You've got a good point. I wish some bad guy would come up with a more ORIGINAL plan."

MEANWHILE  
"Wait, Mandy," Alex said. "Don't be so hasty."

Alex put on her infrared-vision sunglasses. An array of security lasers filled the exit corridor right near the cells. "If we broke a laser, we'd be caught for sure."

"Well, don't expect me to dodge those lasers," Mandy replied. "I don't have a pair of those cool sunglasses. I don't care if I'm inexperienced! I just want a chance!"  
"Stay put, Mandy," Alex responded. "I've got a plan."

Alex threw her boomerang bracelet at the lasers. The bracelet broke a laser and returned to her. Seconds later, guards arrived on the scene.  
"Oh, the captives are still in their cells. Must have been a false alarm," one guard said.  
"I suppose the system's a bit buggy," another guard responded, and the guards left.

Alex waited a few minutes, then broke the lasers with her boomerang bracelet again. Once again, guards arrived, concluded that the alarm was false, and left.

Three or four false alarms later, the guards grew sick of the whole thing. "Turn that stupid laser grid off," one guard said. "I don't want to rush in here for another false alarm."  
The guards left. One of them hesitated to enter a code on a nearby keypad, and the lasers deactivated (as Alex noted with her infrared-vision sunglasses).

MEANWHILE (getting sick of all these meanwhiles yet?)  
"The factory production is going really well," Cleo said to José. "And we even captured two dark-haired women who were spying. Wait, you said there was only one dark-haired woman. Where did the other come from?"  
"Sure beats me, señorita," José replied.  
"Hey, is it getting a bit cold in here?" Cleo asked.  
"Sí, hace frio," José confirmed. "I'd better turn on the heating system." He turned a knob on a nearby control panel, and the heating system started up.

You probably should understand that someone turning on the heating system for a building, like José just did, is not the best thing when you're hiding in the ventilation duct, like Sam and Clover were doing.

Sam radioed Alex on her walkie-talkie necklace. "Alex, I overheard Cleo saying they captured you and Mandy. Did they?"  
"Yeah, but we're just about to escape," came the reply. "Don't worry about us."  
"All right," confirmed Sam. "We'll try to meet you back in the storeroom."

Clover was feeling the full effects of the heat. "So hot. Need to cool off my body."  
You guessed it! Clover took out the ice-cold bottle of Cherry-Lime Dream that was in Cleo's office and gulped down its contents.  
By the time Sam noticed what Clover was doing, it was too late; she had already emptied the bottle. What happened next was so predictable I won't even bother telling you about it.  
-  
What will happen to Clover?  
Will Alex and Mandy escape?  
Why can't super-villains be more original?  
Why do the names of "Undercover" episodes of Totally Spies always end in "Much?"

Find the answers to these and other questions (well, other questions, at least) in Chapter 6! 


	7. A solution and another problem

Author's note: Pretty quick, huh? Well, here's your sixth chapter.  
And Mat49324, I didn't review "My First Time for a Dance" because I hate romance.  
-  
Chapter 6: A solution... and another problem  
-  
04:15 PM - CLD PRISON CHAMBER  
"Okay, the laser grid is down," Mandy said to Alex. "Now, do something about these cages!"  
"I'm on it," Alex replied.

Carefully Alex held up the heel of one of her magnetic go-go boots and pointed it at the cell keys on a nearby desk. The keys jumped from the desk and stuck to the boot. Alex had herself and Mandy out in a jiffy.

04:20 PM - CLD STOREROOM  
All four spies (well, sort of) met in the storeroom. Upon gathering, Mandy was the first to speak up.

"Where's Clover?" Mandy asked. "And why are you carrying that stupid fox in your arms?"  
Alex was the first to realize that these two questions answered each other. "Oh no. She didn't!"  
"She did," Sam responded. "When someone turns on the heating system, it can get pretty hot in the ventilation ducts. We had an ice-cold bottle of Cherry-Lime Dream with us for evidence."

"Let's hope that this fox has a better personality than Clover did," Mandy muttered, and quickly caught a glare from Sam.

Alex was the next to speak up. "Now that I think about it, we studied this particular breed of fox in zoology class the other day. It's best known for its sharp teeth, which can even bite through steel cables."  
Just as Mandy was about to say something, Sam stopped her. "Whatever sarcastic remark you were about to make, Mandy, save it for later. I don't think you'd like a fox bite on the ankle."

Mandy was silent for a few seconds, then spoke up again. "Hey, since Clover is a fox and all, can I have her infrared sunglasses and her boomerang bracelet?"

Sam handed them over, and then changed the subject. "I sent a few drops of Cherry-Lime Dream left over from the bottle Clover drank to Jerry earlier for analysis. I wonder how it's coming."  
Cue the ring tone, and cue Mandy nearly jumping out of her skin. Sam got out her compowder (did I get that right?) and opened it.

"Jerry?"  
"That's me. I have news on the sample of Cherry-Lime Dream you sent me. Its 'secret ingredient' is a sample of animal DNA processed in a special way to interact with human DNA."  
"Curious. Would the DNA in that particular sample happen to be fox DNA?"  
"Correct, Sam. How did you know that?"  
"Let's just say Clover got a little thirsty."  
Jerry laughed a little. "I'll attempt to come up with an antidote. You'd better hurry up and find a way to stop Cherry-Lime Dream, sales are due to go worldwide tomorrow. I trust you don't want that. Ta-ta."

Shortly after Sam hung up, Jerry turned to a nearby WOOHP employee, the same one whom he had made the bet with. The employee silently handed Jerry a ten-dollar bill.  
-  
Will the girls stop Cherry-Lime Dream?  
Is Clover's "condition" necessarily a bad thing?  
Why was Clover stupid enough to drink a bottle of soda she knew would transform her?  
What kind of fox has teeth sharp enough to bite through cables?

There's more to come! 


	8. A lot happening in one chapter

Okay, I'm kind of playing it by ear here. Well, time to continue.  
And Mat49324, I didn't review "The Weakest Spy" because I hate that game show.  
-  
Chapter 7: A Lot Happening in One Chapter  
-  
04:23 PM - CLD STOREROOM  
"According to this fire exit plan," Sam said, pointing at the wall, "the factories are on the twentieth floor. Mandy, wait here. We'll go up and investigate."  
Mandy agreed somewhat reluctantly, and Sam left the room. Alex followed, carrying the fox that was Clover.

04:27 PM - CLD FACTORIES  
"Ah... eyuh... whew! That sure was a long staircase climb," Alex said. "I think I'm going to faint."  
"We've got to shut down the factories as soon as we can," Sam responded. "But how do we do that?"

Alex calmly gestured at a large tank of Cherry-Lime Dream, ready for bottling. A mechanical piston moved it back and forth gently to mix the ingredients. "Ever shaken up a bottle of soda before opening it?"  
Sam quickly caught on. "Stay here, Alex, and watch Clover. I'm going to take care of this."

Carefully Sam made her way to the control panel that controlled the mechanical piston that shook the tank. Among the controls was a knob that controlled the speed of the piston's movement.  
Sam held her breath and turned the knob as far as it could go. The piston started working at full speed, shaking the tank silly. Several employees gasped.

PFOOM! The tank exploded, splattering the immediate area with Cherry-Lime Dream. To say that it was a mess would be an understatement. I stink as an artist, so you'll have to take my word for it.

MEANWHILE  
An intercom beeped near the storeroom where Mandy was hiding. Cleo answered it. "Hello? Cleo here."  
The voice was José again. Again. "Cleo! You wouldn't believe what just happened! The main mixing tank up here on the factory just went crazy and went KABOOM!"  
"What?" Cleo replied. "My factory has been ruined! What does this mean?"

Mandy couldn't help herself. She burst out of the storeroom and confronted Cleo. "I'll tell you what it means," she shouted with glee. "It means you've fallen to the operations of WOOHP."

Cleo was furious. "GUARDS!"  
In seconds Mandy and Cleo were surrounded by several guards, who handcuffed the former to a nearby copper pipe.

"So, madam," Mandy said sarcastically, "I'm curious. Why did you start this whole people-becoming-animals thing?"  
As Cleo started to explain, Mandy put her free hand to her chest, secretly activating her walkie-talkie necklace.

"My father was the former owner of this soda business," Cleo began. "When he died, I inherited it. But you see, I didn't like it one bit. I loved animals, and wanted to be a zookeeper."  
"I tried to protest to the lawyers, but they didn't listen. After I inherited it, I tried to sell it, but it was so profitable that everyone thought I was nuts to want to give it up!"  
"I was so furious. I wanted to get my revenge on society. Suddenly, I had a brilliant flash in my head. I knew how I could give society what it deserved and fulfill my lifelong dream at the same time!"  
"It was simple, actually. An old friend of mine was experimenting with mutating human DNA. I just had to make a few alterations to her formula and put a little in each bottle of Cherry-Lime Dream."  
"Brilliant, huh? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a flight to catch on my escape helicopter." Cleo approached the elevator.

MEANWHILE  
"Sam! Did you hear that?" Alex told Sam. "We have to stop Cleo from escaping!"  
"Fear not, Alex," Sam replied, "I've got a plan." Sam whispered something in Alex's ear.  
"Yes, that's a great idea. Let's go!" Alex responded once Sam was done whispering, and they both ran off.  
-  
What is Sam's plan?  
Will Cleo be stopped?  
Was this chapter a bit too rushed?  
Why does José show up so often?

One or two more chapters should sum up the story. Stay tuned! 


	9. Case closed!

Yes, another update already. This soon enough for you?  
And what's with the funky remodeling of the preview page? It doesn't work well with Safari.  
-  
Chapter 8: Case Closed  
-  
04:33 PM - CLD HEADQUARTERS  
Sam and Alex ran up the stairs as fast as they could, with Alex carrying the fox that was Clover. Sam hesitated at every floor to press the elevator's UP button.  
Because of this, the elevator stopped at every floor past the 20th floor, delaying Cleo's would-be getaway a lot, not to mention making Cleo really angry.

Alex stopped climbing at a floor near the top, and pried the elevator doors open. She then waited for the elevator to stop, and dropped down onto it.  
As the elevator approached the next floor, Alex held Clover up to the elevator cable. When the elevator stopped, Clover bit the cable in two, sending the elevator plummeting.

The sudden drop left Alex in mid-air. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she thought to herself in the instant before she started plummeting.  
Alex's sudden descent only lasted seven or eight floors before she used her magnetic go-go boots to land on the wall, still holding Clover tightly.

CRASH! BANG! WHAM!  
The elevator crashed at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Cleo got out of the elevator and pried the basement doors open... only to be confronted by several WOOHP agents.

05:00 PM - WOOHP  
"Thanks once again for a job well done, girls," Jerry told the girls. "Cleo should be attempting to care for the guard dogs at the WOOHP jail by now."  
Clover smirked. "I'm just glad the WOOHP lab could find an antidote to the Cherry-Lime Dream formula. Being a fox wasn't that enjoyable, believe you me."

Jerry turned and focused his attention on Mandy. "I'm sorry, but your performance has not met WOOHP standards. You, Mandy, are fired."  
"Fired?" Mandy screamed. "You can't do this to me! I'll get my revenge on you. I'll tell everyone I know about your stupid WOOHP organization, and I'll-"

"Wait. I wasn't finished. Our WOOHP computer will erase all your knowledge of WOOHP's existence. When you leave, you will remember nothing about WOOHP whatsoever."  
Clover was the next to speak up. "Can you erase her annoying personality as well?"  
"Don't press your luck, girls," Jerry responded. "You should be going now. Oh, and one more thing. We'll be experimenting with the transformation formula used in Cherry-Lime Dream for a little longer, so if for some reason you want to become an animal again, just stop by."

02:00 PM - SAM'S HOUSE - THE NEXT DAY  
"You know," Clover said to Alex and Sam, "other than the whole turning-into-animals thing, Cherry-Lime Dream tastes pretty good."  
"I'll have to trust you on that one," Sam responded. Clover was about to respond when Alex let out a cry of shock.

"What is it, Alex?" Sam and Clover asked at the same time.

"I just remembered a homework assignment for my zoology class," Alex said worriedly. "I have to write a 600-word essay about one of the topics on a list he gave me. I'll never be able to get it done on time!"  
Alex put the list of suggested essay topics on the table. Clover examined it, then circled one of them with a pen. "Pick this one," she said, "and don't worry. I'll tell you everything you need to know."  
"Ah, I get it," Alex replied after looking at the topic Clover circled.

11:45 AM - BEVERLY HILLS HIGH SCHOOL  
That Monday, Sam, Clover and Alex were eating lunch together in the school cafeteria. "So," Sam asked Alex, "how did the essay go?"  
"Mr. Carukia loved it," Alex replied. "He was amazed by the detail. He liked it so much, he put it on display in his classroom."  
"Well, how did you do it?"  
"Clover helped me. She had a lot of experience with the subject she suggested to me."  
"Which was?"  
-  
_Wait a moment! What do you think the essay topic was? Consider everything that's happened in the story, and think about every Totally Spies episode you've seen. It should be really obvious what essay topic Clover suggested to Alex. Once you think you know, read on. -Author_  
-  
Instead of answering, Alex showed Sam the list of essay topics. Sam looked at the list, and started to laugh. Clover and Alex quickly joined in.

While laughing, Sam dropped the list, and it fluttered to the tabletop. One of the topics was circled. It went like this:  
"Pick an animal and write about what you think it would be like to be that animal."  
Fade out.  
-  
THE END

No, really, this is the end.

Agh! I already told you, this story is over! Why are you still reading?

Oh, I get it. You think that if you scroll far enough past the end, you'll find something special.

Well, nothing special here. Too bad!

What?

You just want to get to the "Submit Review" button?

Fine with me. It's right down there.

Hey, you think this story will qualify for the plot of a Totally Spies episode? I'd like to send it in to Cartoon Network and find out. 


End file.
